How would you play this?

[Starchild7309]

OK "hive mind" question: The campaign I am in is running through RoT. There may be very minor spoilers here, but this is more of a question of strategy as my Dm has very much revamped most of the adventure for balance and to make the story more interesting. I need help with a side quest I was given...See below (I have not read the module so I don't know what all is RoT and what is DM imagination so just to be safe I am warning of spoilers).

My background is a faction agent of the Lord's Alliance. There is currently some sort of schism in the Alliance (not much info on that). Most of the rest of my party are Harpers, one Gauntlet member and unsure of the another party member. I was tasked by a person under Neverember to find an artifact called the Karse stone. I am not so much worried about how to find its as that I was told I would need my companions help to gain it, but that I cannot let them know that it is the Karse stone. I am to get them to go help me find this artifact, but unsure of how to do so without explaining what it is and therefore disobeying my immediate superior in the Alliance. I suppose I could lie, but I need a believable convincing lie as to what this could be and why I seek it. I have a +8 to deception, but roll pretty bad most of the time. Cursed dice and all. Any ideas? All I know is I have to find a former Cult member who has been searching for it and has info as to where it is, beat the info out of him and then go collect the stone. Help me out oh all powerful forum group. If you have any more questions I will answer them if I know the answer.

[Regitnui]

Well, tell them you're looking for something of inestimable value to your superior. If the Karse Stone is known to be stored with other artefacts or in a hoard, tell them you need to go after the hoard.

Tale Hayley as inspiration and be incredibly choosy about loot, picking only valuable stones and items. That way nobody will be surprised when you taken the Karse Stone.

[Sigreid]

You could tell them it's a lost heirloom that will help you prove your birthright.

[Belac93]

Get new dice. :smallbiggrin:

[Coidzor]

If you have a bad set of dice that consistently roll one side, then consider buying higher-quality replacement dice.

If they won't know it's the Karse Stone when they see it or find it, then saying you know a source that will reward them handsomely for retrieving this part of the general treasure hoard for them.

When in doubt, leverage things to get paid twice, once for doing it and once in the form of treasure recovered. If not more.

[Starchild7309]

I am not so much worried about the dice. I just need a believable story, if it makes sense, no one is really going to attempt to insight it. The dice are more untimely than roll bad consistently.

[Coidzor]

Well, if you're not hiding who the questgiver is, just say Lord Whoever wants an artifact from this hoard and will pay them for it? Call it the Stone of Maguffin if you must.

[unwise]

I agree with the birthright option. It makes sense to the PCs as to why they should not want it to be included in the communal pool of loot. Make it clear that you are asking this as a favour, so that they don't go mercenary on you.

The players themselves will assume this is a part of your PCs background rather than a new faction quest, so will likely go along with it.

[Starchild7309]

OK so I have kind of formulated a rough draft of a plan:

We are currently doing a character background quest for one of the characters...it came up suddenly and I backed the character in needing to get it taken care of right away so I feel like I can count on him to back me up with few to no questions, especially if i mention there will be lots of treasure (if there is any or not).

Secondly, the one character is a drow ranger (constantly in search of magic weapons). I use the same magic treasure hoard approach with him. He should go for that.

The third character is wielding Hazirawn (greatsword from HotDQ). I tell them I was given information by my network about items of great power that may be able to assist us. Explaining that he has the sword and the way we are going the cult is always ahead of us so the likelihood of the cult succeeding is increasing. We will need these things to save the day. He is pragmatic and may go for that. The other two in the group I am not sure the approach one is a Paladin of Kelmvor who is also a Revenant whose "quest" is to stop Severin before he can rest and the other I have no idea its a new player.

On a side note I started as a half elf who was always trying to act like a full elf, I died and got reincarnated into a dwarf. Have been asking everyone and their mother to someone change me back to half elf or an elf. So I could use that angle as like hey, I know the end of the world is coming, but this thing in this dungeon can totally fix my personal issue.

Regardless I have to be vague about what it is I am searching for. I cannot let any of the Harper faction know its the Karse Stone apparently.

More ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Starchild7309]

More ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Or not apparently.

[Starchild7309]

Ok just bumping this one last time as our session is tomorrow and still trying to come up with ideas.

[Coidzor]

So, what, any harpers will just automatically know that this rock in particular is the Karse Stone instead of any other magical orb or rock or stone?

If that's the case, then unless you're the party's rogue-type and can sneak and filch the thing before anyone sees it or arrange for your non-harper party members to distract the harpers while you add that to your pack(possibly by surrendering part of your share of the treasure to them), then you're screwed.

If they wouldn't know the Karse Stone if an ogre used it as an improvised weapon to beat their characters to death with, then you should be fine saying you need [description of a magical stone] for your questgiver and take that as your first magic item if there's a collection of them to divvy up or something.